Strange Bedfellow by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online Page B

 
    “You didn't return Chet's ring,” he reminded her in a flat tone.  
    Raising her left hand, she glanced at the flowerlike circlet of diamonds. “No, I ... must have forgotten.” She was too tired at this point to care about such a small detail.  
    When she started to lower her hand, Blake seized it and stripped the ring from her finger before she could react to stop him. He gave it a careless toss onto the polished mahogany table standing against the foyer wall.  
    “You can't leave valuable things lying around!” Dina instantly retrieved it, clutching it in her hand as she frowned at him—Blake, who insisted there was a place for everything and everything in its place.  
    “Valuable to whom?” he questioned with cool arrogance.  
    Her fingers tightened around the ring. “I'll keep it in my room until I can give it back to him.” She waited for him to challenge her decision. When he didn't, she walked to the stairs.  
    “He'll be over tomorrow,” Blake stated, speaking from directly behind her. “You can give it to him then.”  
    “What time is he coming?” Dina climbed the stairs knowing she was loath to return the ring when Blake was around, but he seemed to be leaving her little option.  
    “At ten for Sunday brunch.”  
    At the head of the stairs, Dina turned. Her bedroom was the first door on the right. She walked to it only to have Blake's arm reach around her to open the door. She stopped abruptly as he pushed it open, her look bewildered.  
    “What are you doing?” She frowned.  
    “I'm going to bed.” An eyebrow flickered upward as he eyed her coolly. “Where did you think I was going to sleep?”  
    She looked away, her gaze darting madly around. She was thrown into a trembling state of confusion by his taunting question. “I didn't think about it.” As she faltered. “I guess I've become used to sleeping alone.”  
    His hand was at the small of her back, firmly directing her into the room. “Surely you don't expect that to continue?”  
    “I...” Oh, God, yes she did. Dina realized with a frozen start. “I think it might be better ... for a while.” She stopped in the center of the room and turned to face him as he closed the door.  
    “You do?” Inscrutable brown eyes met her wavering look, his leathery, carved features expressionless.  
    “Yes, I do.”  
    Her nerves were leaping around as erratically as jumping beans, not helped by the palpitating beat of her heart. She watched with growing apprehension as Blake peeled off his suit jacket and tie and began unbuttoning his shirt.  
    She tried to reason with him, her voice quivering. “Blake, it's been two and a half years.”  
    “Tell me about it,” he inserted dryly.  
    Her throat tightened to make her voice small. “I don't know you anymore. You're a stranger to me.”  
    “That can be changed.”  
    “You aren't trying to understand, Blake.” Dina fought to keep control of herself. “I can't just hop into bed with—”  
    “Your husband?” he finished the sentence, and gave her a searing look. “Who else would you choose?”  
    The shirt was coming off, exposing a naked chest and shoulder tanned the same dusky shade as his face. The result heightened Dina's impression of a primitive male, powerful and dangerous, sinewy muscles rippling in the artificial light.  
    Her senses catapulted in alarm as she felt the force of his earthly, pagan attraction. In an attempt to break the black magic of its spell, she turned away, walking stiffly to her dresser to place Chet's ring in her jewel case.  
    “No one. That isn't what I meant.” She remained at the dresser, her hands flattened on its top, knuckles showing white. He came up behind her and she lifted her gaze. In the dressing-table mirror her wary eyes saw his reflection join with hers. “You've become hard, Blake, a cynic,” she said accusingly. “I can imagine what you've gone through....”  
    “Can you?” There was a faint